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In a money-saving move, General Motors has decided that it will not "at this time" build a new engine plant for Chevrolet's Volt and Cruze models. The company announced Feb. 24 that instead of carrying out its previously announced plans for a new plant in Flint, MI, it will use extra capacity at an existing Flint plant.

A lighter weight biofuel Bentley will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Engineering Director, Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, describes it as being not only the greenest Bentley ever to enter production but also the most powerful, fastest, and most extreme: “It is the first biofuel supercar.”

Adrian Lund, President, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, acknowledged that the auto industry’s financial woes may have to be taken into consideration as NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) moves forward on new safety standards. But while the economy may be soft, the IIHS has no intention of going soft itself nor will it go easy on the Obama administration if it appears to be too sympathetic to Detroit.

At the annual SAE Government/Industry Meeting, an array of Washington hands read the tea leaves on what might happen in a range of green auto policy areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, auto purchase incentives within the economic stimulus plan, and imminent CAFE standards.

On cue, alternative-powered vehicles boasting plug-in hybrid, pure-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell capability from the world’s largest and most well-known automakers took center stage at January’s Detroit auto show. But while those advanced-technology vehicles appeared in concept or prototype form, a Chinese company better known as a cell-phone battery maker showed off its recently launched production plug-in hybrid, the F3DM.

AgustaWestland signed a six-year contract with CEIIA of Portugal for a research and development, design, and engineering project. Under this contract, Portuguese companies and universities will be involved in diversified aerospace-related projects.

Komatsu Ltd. recently acquired 630,000 m² (6.8 million ft²) of land in Changzhou, China, where Komatsu (Changzhou) Construction Machinery Corp. (KCCM) is located. Komatsu is going to relocate the entire operation of KCCM to the new site and build a new plant and technical center there.

BAE Systems opened a new facility in Austin, TX, for the production of armor kits to protect U.S. Army ground vehicles. The 33,000-ft² (3065-m²) facility is expected to allow the company to build its L-ROD bar-armor kits faster and at lower cost.

MAN, together with its Saudi Arabian importer Haji Husein Alireza & Co. Ltd., opened a truck assembly plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The plant is designed to produce 3000 vehicles a year in single-shift operation.

Oshkosh Defense signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army's Tank and Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) to refine technology for the operation of unmanned ground vehicles in convoy missions in real-world environments.

Mowag awarded Cummins Inc. a supply contract for 198 ISBe 5.9-L engines rated at 250 hp (186 kW) to power Eagle IV patrol vehicles for the German army. This is a follow-on order from Mowag for 90 ISBe 5.9-L engines for the Danish army.

The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a multiyear contract valued at $81 million to upgrade 30 M1 Abram tanks to the M1A2 Systems Enhancement Package Version 2 configuration.

The U.S. Army has awarded Navistar Defense nearly $79 million to provide 605 vehicles for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Under the new contract, which is in addition to the $2.3 billion in military contracts for 2009 announced on Jan. 5, Navistar will provide the Army with 328 fuel trucks and 277 water tankers—all customized from the WorkStar platform.

Force Protection Inc. and General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. have submitted the Cheetah, a lightweight armored tactical vehicle developed by Force Protection that meets or exceeds U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) threshold requirements for crew protection, mobility, and weight in response to the U.S.

­­Doosan Heavy Indust­ries & Construction signed a $26 million contract to supply large-scale freight-loading equipment for shipping ports in an international bid placed by the Port of New Orleans. The contract entails the supply of ­rail-mounted quay-side gantry crane equipment for loading and unloading containers from container vessels.

Terex Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) has acquired assets of a refurbishment facility owned by United Rentals in Modesto, CA. The facility will cater to all customers with refurbishment needs of Genie aerial equipment and, at a later date, Terex equipment as well.

Although possessing a very high strength-to-weight ratio, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers have unique structures that make them difficult to machine cleanly and precisely. Kennametal explains how it meets the challenges.

Misumi USA's magnetic transmission drive components are suited for applications where noncontacting components result in ultralow dust generation, such as semiconductor, circuit board, military ordnance, and aerospace markets.

Aerospace has been a key focus segment for Sandvik Coromant for a number of years. With the establishment of its first aerospace application center in 2002, the company turned its attention toward finding ways to ensure that each customer had the tools to not only keep pace with the rapidly advancing industry but also to take advantage of the latest technology on the market.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded a Boeing team a four-year contract worth $49 million to continue developing technology that will enable a UAV to autonomously rendezvous with a tanker aircraft and refuel.

A five-axis horizontal machining center, the MAG3 is specifically designed for high productivity machining of complex aluminum monolithic parts for aerospace. Weaver Manufacturing employed it for making a large part that could not be handled as effectively any other way.

Electron Energy Corp., a leading U.S. producer of rare earth magnets, has been awarded a $750,000 Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) contract by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Argonne, IL. The Phase II research contract, which runs from August 2008 through August 2009, is for the development of high-performance magnets and magnet technologies for advanced motors used in hybrid-electric vehicles.

Boeing and Bharat Electronics Ltd., one of India's leading defense companies, are jointly developing an analysis and experimentation center in India. The facility will be designed to enable government and industry to work together to explore the best alternatives and solutions to the challenges currently facing India's defense forces.

AgustaWestland will build AW119 helicopters in India under a joint venture with Tata Sons. The two parties on Feb. 12 announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to that effect. The JV will be responsible for AW119 final assembly, completion, and delivery to customers worldwide.

Electrohydraulics are particularly suited to platforms where there is a high degree of coordination required between the propulsion and work functions, as well as those where functional complexity or repetition of task is more suited to an automated approach.